Improved nail-plate feeder



EZB/A B. LAKE,- 0F BRIDGEPGRT, NEW JERSEY. Letters Patent No. 71,521, dated November 26, 1867.

IMPRovBD NAIL-PLATE intensa` ilgt .Stimuli rentra tu in' time tters nbzut mit noting part uf tige time.

Tl) 'ALL WHOM IAT MAY 4CONCERN:

Be it known that I, EZRA B.LA'KE, of Bridgeport, Gloucester county, New Jersey, have invented an Improved Nail-Plate Feeding-Machine; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,`clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention consists of certain mechanism fully described hereafter, whereby nail able receptacle, are continuously and regularly fed to a nail-machine.

` In order to enable others familiar with machinery of this class to make and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation,- referenee bein forms a part of this specification, and in which- L Y y Figure 1 is a. sectional elevation of my improved nail-plate feeding-machine.

Figure 2, an outside view of the same. Y

Figure 3 a sectional plan view on the line 1-2, iig. 2.

Figures-4, 5, 6,--and 7, transverse sectional views at dilier'ent points in the machine; and

Figures 8 and 9 detached sectional views drawn to an enlarged scale.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

To the bed-plate A of the machine are secured standards a a, which form bearings for a vibrating plate, B, and to the latter is hung a swinging frame, b. A hollow metal ring, e, is arranged to turn freely on the swinging frame b., and a cam-like ring, d, is secured to the front end of the vibratingplate B. (See gs. 2, 6and7.) A cylindrical casing or barrel, C, passes through and turns in these rings, and in a third lring, e, which is hung to a swinging frame, f, hinged to the bed-plate of the machine; and within each of the rings c and e are hung four or more anti-friction pulleys, c', iig. 4, which bear against the barrel C, und enable it to turnfreely in the said rings. l

. To one side of the'ring 'c is secured a circular rack, e', for a purpose described hereafter, and at the opposite side of .the ring, and secured to the barrel C, is a cog-wheel, f', gearing into a driving-pinion, f, which is -plates placed in a snitsecured to the ring, andby means of which motion is communicated to the barrel. vThe latter turns loosely in lthe ring c, andis prevented from slipping through the same on one side by its cog-wheel f', and on the opposite side by lugs g, g. 2, which bear against the ring. The barrel is prevented inlike mannerfrom slipping through thei'ing e, by anti-friction pulleys g', secured to it on each side of the ring, fig. 2, and a pulley, L, is hung' to 'the barrel within the hollow cam-lke ring d, for a purpose described hereafter.

`A frame, D, is arranged to slide in guides secured to the vibrating plate B, and is retained in its position -by a pin, i, .which enters a groove, i', of the frame, and bya spring, i, iigs. 1 and 3. Two hollow rings, j and j', similar to the rings c and e, are secured to a projection, j, of the sliding plate D, and are also provided with anti-friction pulleys c;\ and a hollow metal casing, F, is arranged to turn in the said rings, but is prevented from slipping through them by'pulleys k, iig's. 1 and 2= `The casing F is of greater diameter than, and is .arranged to slip over 'the rear end of, the barrel C,'a pin, l, of the latter entering a slot, Z', of the oasing,ig. 1i

A square box,G, `open at the top, slides in a square opening at the rear of the casing F, and is guided and held lin its place by a transverse rod, m, iig. 3, which enters grooves m on the opposite sides of theA casing. A dat spring, n, is secured to the casing F, immediatelyzover the box G, and has hingedito ita iiap, n', for a purpose described hereafter. (See g. 1.)

g had to the accompanying drawing, which y In the rear end of-the barrel C there is a square opening, in line with the box G of the casing F, 'and directly beneath this opening are two spindles, 'r and r', having pulleys p and p connected together by an endless band, q, on which are projections g. Each spindle, r and r', has projections s on each side of its pulley,

(figs. 8 and 9,) and the latter spindle, r, projects through one side of the barrel, and is provided with a pinion,

a, gearing into the circular rack e of the ring c. On the spindle r there is sleeve, t, g. 8, against which bears a spiral spring, t', and both the spindle and its sleeve have lugs u, for a purpose described hereafter.

Two feed-rollers, u and o', turn within the barrel, and a spring, w, is secured to the latter, directly above the endless band g, -while similar springs, y, y1, and y2, are secured to the to p and one side of a narrow opening or passage, z, which extends through the barrel. (See gs. 1 and 3.)

Operation.

Power is applied to the driving-pinion f2, and is transmitted by the cog-wheel ffto the barrel C, which revolves in the direction of its arrow, g. 2. The cam-ring d, as before described, is stationary, and as 'the pulley h, hung to the barrel, is contained within this ring, it must necessarily follow the curves of the same as it is turned, so that an alternating longitudinal motion will be imparted 'to the barrel as it revolves. At the same time, as the barrelis prevented from slipping through the rings c and e, the latter must follow'its longitudinal movements, and'consequently turn the swinging frames 5 andf upon their centres. The latter framc,f, is hung-tothe bed-plate, and as it is thus turned the plate B will be caused to vibrate, and the outer end of the barrel C to rise or fall, according to the position of the pulley h'within the cam-ring (Z.

The box G- of the casing F, which has been previously moved back from the barrel, is now filled with the thin iron plates from which nails are to be made, and which are represented by red lines, a', iig. 1. This box and its plates are rst moved forward by the attendant, elevating the spring-u and its iiap n', as shown by dotted. lines, g. 1, and the motion is continued until the plates are suiiciently advanced t allow 4the Hap n to fall behind them. The sliding frame D and casing F are then moved towards the revolving barrel C, the pin lof thel latter entering the slot Z of thepcasing' F, and causing it to revolve with the barrel, and as the casing is thus revolved, the plates a: are prevented from falling out of the box G by thel spring n, which bears upon them.

The casing is pushed forward over the end'of the barrel C, and the flap n bears against the rear ends of the nail-plates, and causes them to follow the casing, and enter the square opening of the barrel above the band q; but the rod im of the box Gr bears against .the rear end of the barrel, and causes the box to slide back to' its first position 'in the casing.

v The band qturns in the direction of its arrow, and the plates are drawn to the position inthe barrel, shown in iig. 1, bythe projections s of the pulley p. When in this position the spring u' bears upoi'n the plates, and holds them down to the band q, and thecasing F maybe drawn ,back from the rear oi the barrel. The plates are now contained within the barrel, the bottom plate x resting on the moving band q, and one of the projec tions g ot' the latter strikes the rea'r end of the bottom plate x', and pushes it forward between the feed-rollers v and o", and into the narrow opening z of the barrel.l As soon as this plate is pushed oii the band, another falls or is pressed into its place by the spring w, figs. 1 and 9, and follows the first plate through the barrel, and

this is continued until one of the plates projectsfrom the frontend of the same, as shown in iig. 1, the springs y, g/l, and y2 pressing against the plates, and holding them in a proper position.

In feeding nail-plates, it is necessary, in order to prevent waste of metal, to present opposite iiat sides of the plate alternately to the action of theshears of the nail-machine.; and as the plate rests upon a table while being cut, it must be raised in order to be turned, and at the saine time drawn back a short distance, so as to clear the shears. This is done in my machine by the cam-ring d, which, as before described, draws the barrel back, and at the same time, with the aid of the swinging frames 'b and f, raises or lowers the front cnd of the 'barrel while it is being turned, and the plates fed'from the same.

v The plate w projecting from the frontend of the barrel, is fed to the nail-machine, and when it is cut up is followed by a second, and so on until the supply contained in the barrel is exhausted, the plates being uniformly fed forward and .presented to the action of the nail-machine with regularity and precision. Before all the plates conta-ined in the barrel have been used, the' box of the casing F is again filled by the attendant, as shown in iig. 1, so that the barrel may be replenished without loss of time. It is desirable that the plates, in passing through the barrel, should be maintained in a central position. To eli'ect this object they are caused to pass between the lugs 'u of the spindle a" and its sleeve t, and if the plates vary slightly in width, the sleeve t, acted on by the spring t', adjusts itself accordingly.

I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. rlhe barrel C, constructed substantially as described, in combination with the devicesherein described, 'l or their equivalents, for imparting to the said barrel a combined rotary, longitudinal, and vibratory motion, for? the purpose speciiied. t

2. The above, in combination with the vibrating plate B, swinging frames b and j', and rings c and e, for vibrating the barrel C, as described.

3. The casing F, constructed substantially as described, turning in the hinges j andy", and arranged on plate D, to slide on the vibrating plate B, in the manner and for the purpose specied.

4. The casing F, combined and operating in conjunction with barrel C, as specified. 5. The box G, adapted to an opening in -the casing F, and arranged to slide in they same, substantially in the manner described.

v 6. The above, in combinationvwith the spring it and its ilap n for holding and guiding the plates 7.4 The combination ot' the pulleys p and p', the band g, its projections g', and the spring w, the whole being constructed, arranged, and operated substantially as described, for propelling, holding, and guiding vthe naillates. P 8. The rollers o c( and the springs y, y1, and y2, within the passage z, combined and arranged as and-for the purpose specified. v

9. The lugs u of the spindle t", combined with the adjustable sleeve t and spring t. In testimony whereof# have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EZRA B. LAKE.

Witnesses:

JOHN WHITE, JNO. B. Hummm. 

